This invention relates generally to electrical connectors and more particularly to electrical tab receptacle terminals of the type having a pair of cantilever spring contact members disposed within a box-like body that is adapted for mounting in an insulating housing.
A known type of tab receptacle terminals formed from sheet metal comprises a box-like main body portion with extensions of two opposed sides bent back within the body portion to form cantilever spring contacts between which a tab or pin may be inserted and gripped. Examples of this type of terminals are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,609,640, 3,713,080, 3,718,895, 3,992,076 and 4,076,369. The terminal shown in Pat. No. 3,992,076 has an outwardly projecting resilient retention tang struck from one side of its body portion for securing the terminal in a cavity of an insulating housing. Other examples of terminals provided with a resilient retention tang are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,562,698, 4,068,915 and 4,306,761.
Tab receptacle terminals of the type referred to above are commonly produced in continuous strip form with a plurality of terminals connected at their ends in side-by-side relation to either one or two carrier strips. The strips of terminals are commonly wound on a reel for subsequent application to electric wires by a terminal press which sequentially separates the terminals from the carrier strips and crimps a wire connecting portion of each terminal to a wire. During handling of the strips of terminals, the outwardly projecting retention tang of a terminal may be accidentally depressed into the main body portion of the terminal and not return to its original position. After such a damaged terminal is inserted into an insulating housing, its retention tang is ineffective to adequately secure the terminal to the housing. Consequently, the terminal may be pushed out of the housing by the engagement forces produced when an attempt is made to mate the terminal with a complementary tab.